Chicago has more lead water service lines than any other U.S. municipality, and replacing them would be a complicated and costly project. But years ago, the city of Madison, Wis., removed all of its lead pipes and found a way to pay for it.

Cook County State’s Attorney Anita Alvarez says her office is going to prosecute fewer low-level drug cases and steer more people to treatment. But with state budget cuts for substance abuse treatment programs on the horizon and persistent racial disparities in drug-related arrests, advocates question whether the new policy can be effective.

The petcoke controversy on Chicago’s Southeast Side is another example of the heightened environmental costs of every stage of tar sands oil production — and yet another case of low-income communities of color bearing the brunt of those hardships.

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About Chicago Reporter

Founded on the heels of the civil rights movement of the 1960s, The Chicago Reporter confronts racial and economic inequality, using the power of investigative journalism. Our mission is national but grounded in Chicago, one of the most segregated cities in the nation and a bellwether for urban policies.